Titans sign Jalen Parmele, release Jamie Harper

The Titans signed Shonn Greene earlier this offseason to be Chris Johnson’s second in the backfield and now they’ve shuffled up the next rung of the running back depth chart.

John Glennon of the Tennessean reports that the Titans have signed Jalen Parmelee and released Jamie Harper. Parmelee, who worked out for the team last week, was pressed into action because of injuries in the Jacksonville backfield last season and finished the year with 40 carries for 143 yards. He only has seven other carries across 24 other games, all with the Ravens, and has seen a fair amount of work on special teams.

With Greene set in the number two role, that special teams experience is likely something they’ll value in a third back.

Harper was a fourth-round pick in 2011 and the team frequently talked him up as a more bruising counterpart for Chris Johnson. That talk amounted to 36 carries over his two years with the team, although the 74 yards Harper gained with those carries didn’t do much to recommend a more extensive workload.

The paperwork alone for this move doesn’t make sense. Titians get an inexperienced 3rd back and release an inexperienced 3rd back. I would hope management was working on things other than 3rd round backs.